


Splish Splash

by CaptainParisStarr



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur loves having his hair pulled, First Time, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Merlin was caught in the bath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:28:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27130450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainParisStarr/pseuds/CaptainParisStarr
Summary: Arthur catching Merlin in the bath changes everything.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 166





	Splish Splash

“Hey Merlin! Have you seen Gaius?” Arthur’s voice drifted around the partition, and Merlin sat up, startled.

“Arthur! Give me a moment!” Moments earlier, he had been enjoying the simple pleasures of a hot bath, one with no one nagging at him to do anything, and he had been dozing, but now he was wide awake. Though he had seen Arthur bathe on numerous occasions; and had even had to help him bathe when battle injury had left him unable to fully wash himself, he had no desire for Arthur to see him in the bath.

As Merlin stepped out of the tub, he glanced down at his own gangly body; unlike Arthur, he was nothing to look at. Part of him wanted Arthur to look at him like someone worth desiring; like he was beautiful; but he knew that would never happen. His chest hurt at the thought, and he ignored the pain as he reached for his clothes.

“MERLIN! What are you… Oh.” Arthur stopped short as he rounded the partition.

Merlin knew that Arthur did enjoy the company of other men; far too many training sessions with the Knights of Camelot had ended with his gaze lingering on one of his men, and with Arthur needing time alone to cool off. But Merlin’s body was nothing like those knights; he was not fit, rugged, or muscular in the slightest, so he was surprised when Arthur’s eyes slid down his body as the young King flushed in surprise at finding him naked.

“Gaius isn’t here, Arthur. He went to the village that had the outbreak of sweating sickness yesterday, and he hasn’t returned yet.” Merlin turned his back, and began to get dressed, while trying to pretend that Arthur gaping at him was perfectly normal. “Now can you tell me why you’re interrupting my bath?”

“Oh right! I was checking on the guards when we heard a commotion, and found a maid collapsed from fever. Can you help her since Gaius is absent?” Arthur snapped out of whatever trance the sight of Merlin’s naked body had put him under, though he was still blushing. “Also, why are you bathing so late at night?”

“With the way you and Gaius run me ragged, this is the only time I have open to bathe.” Merlin shot Arthur a challenging look, but the King took his words at face value.

“I see.” Merlin turned away, and rounded the partition to check on the woman, who had been settled onto the bed Gaius slept in at night. “Any sign of her sweating, coughing, or of a rash?” Merlin gave her a cursory examination, and found no signs of illness other than the fever and a thready pulse.

“None.” The guard shook his head, and Arthur backed him up.

“I see.” He began to mix up a simple tonic, which he administered to her as soon as she regained consciousness.

“Is it contagious?” Arthur asked, ready to lock down the castle at the first sign of an outbreak.

“No, I don’t believe so. I think she’s simply exhausted from overworking. She needs a full day of rest, plenty of water, and two solid meals. If the fever returns, then we might have to brace for something more serious, but I suspect that it won’t.” After getting the woman to drink a large glass of water, and, with a sleeping potion in hand, he allowed her to be escorted back to her own chambers for the night.

Arthur stayed behind, once everyone else had left. “Was there something else?”

“Yes, there is.” Arthur looked over at Merlin. “I’ve never overworked you to the point of collapsing, have I?”

“You almost sound concerned.” Merlin couldn’t resist teasing. “No; I have had to go without sleep on a few occasions, but Gaius always made certain I ate at least. I have treated people for it before, though.” 

“Good.” Arthur nodded, then he grabbed Merlin’s wrist and pulled him up the stairs towards Merlin’s bedroom.

“Arthur?!”

“Merlin, listen to me; you have nothing to be shy about!” Arthur’s hands moved up to Merlin’s shoulders.

“Arthur, I…” His throat was dry, and for once he had no idea what to say, mostly because he could not tell what Arthur’s intentions were.

“Merlin…” The hands slid down to wrap around Merlin’s waist, as Arthur stepped close enough for their chests to touch. Heart hammering in his throat, Merlin felt Arthur nuzzle the spot where neck meets shoulder, then a soft press of tongue, as though he was being tested, or perhaps tasted. When Merlin neither tensed himself to pull away, nor screamed for help, Arthur relaxed slightly, mouthing at the flesh in rough almost kisses, moving up Merlin’s throat, over his ear, and down his jaw, finishing with a proper kiss on Merlin’s mouth.

“I’m not… I’m nothing to look at, not like you, not like your knights…” Merlin’s voice trembled; what was Arthur’s game here? If he was just teasing, he was taking the joke way too far.

“Merlin, this isn’t a joke. I’m not teasing you about being caught naked in the bath. Listen to me, Merlin! You’re beautiful, and I want you.” Arthur swallowed hard, then stepped even closer, allowing Merlin to feel how hard he was. “You’re the only one I’ve ever trusted with the secret of my true desires; the only one I’ve ever felt safe getting that close to me. I was just waiting for you to show me some sign that what I feel isn’t one sided, and tonight you gave me that sign. Was I wrong? We don’t have to, not tonight, not if you don’t want to, but Merlin please, talk to me. What do you want?”

“I want you.” The words escaped before Merlin even knew what he was saying. “I want you to touch me.”

Arthur lifted Merlin up, who gasped in surprise, and carried him the few short steps to his bed, and lay him down before pulling Merlin’s shirt off. “Do you want penetration?” 

Merlin winced, and Arthur nodded as though that were answer enough. “I will never hurt you.” His lips met Merlin's again as he climbed into the narrow bed, all but on top of Merlin, only pushing his tongue into Merlin’s mouth when Merlin’s lips parted of his own volition.

“Arthur…” His hands grabbed at Arthur’s tunic, but hesitated until the King nodded his permission, only then removing the clothing to run his hands over bare skin.

The bed creaked and groaned in protest of the extra weight as Arthur settled himself between Merlin’s spread legs and began to slowly kiss his way down Merlin’s chest.

Merlin just lay back, unable to anything else, as pleasure sizzled along his nerves. His hands grabbed Arthur’s shoulders, before moving into his hair, causing Merlin to gasp; the blond locks really were as soft as they looked.

Hands and tongue teased his nipples, causing Merlin to squirm as unexpected pleasure flooded through him, causing strange sounds to spill from his throat. “So you do like nipple play?”

“I dunno I’ve never…” Merlin slowly turned bright red.

“Not even with a girl?”

“I’ve never been touched like this before, by anyone, male or female.”

“You’ve never had sex?”

“No.” Merlin looked away, scared that he’d just shattered something irreparable between them.

“Merlin, there’s no shame in being inexperienced. I’ve never either.”

“What?” Merlin couldn’t believe his ears. “But the knights…?”

“Are straight, all except Gwaine, and do you really think he’ll keep his mouth shut? Also do you really think I’d keep running off to be alone if I was bedding anyone?” Arthur’s voice was soft and almost uncertain, and for the first time, Merlin got a glimpse of the man Arthur might have been had he not been born Royalty.

“What about Gwen?” Merlin was finding it increasingly difficult to think.

“I love her, and I will most likely marry her one day, but my desires do not run towards women. So, no. The only real experience I have is with kissing.” Which Arthur instantly got back to once he was finished talking, leaving no inch of Merlin’s skin untasted.

“But will she be mad at you being here? In my bed?” Merlin pulled at Arthur’s hair to get his attention, and was rewarded with a long, low, deep throated moan.

“She doesn’t have to know, Merlin.” Arthur’s tone briefly hardened, and Merlin knew he was being ordered to keep his mouth shut. Which meant, of course, that yes, Gwen would be furious with both of them. “And we aren’t betrothed yet anyway, so whose bed I choose to lie in is no business of hers.”

“No, but she will care.” Merlin sighed, then jumped as Arthur’s tongue hit the top of his pants; he hadn’t realized Arthur had slid so far down the bed; and his body. “What are you doing?”

“I want to taste all of you.” Arthur began to unlace Merlin's now overly tight pants, and the relief as they were removed outweighed any shyness he might have felt as his erection was exposed to Arthur’s hungry eyes.

“What does that… oh!” Merlin fell back onto the bed as Arthur swallowed him right down to his base. “Arthur…” The name was breathed out as Merlin looked down. He had never been so turned on in his life as he was then, watching the King of Camelot suck on his dick. “Why do you have to be so bloody gorgeous?”

Never before had he seen a man with his mouth so full, blush so deeply, while looking very pleased with himself at the same time. Then he did something with his tongue that made Merlin’s body tingle, and go limp, almost boneless. When Arthur did it again, Merlin moaned loudly, and tugged hard at Arthur’s hair.

An answering moan vibrated Arthur’s throat around Merlin’s tip, and something clicked. “You  _ like _ having your hair pulled, don’t you.” Merlin laughed, breathlessly, as Arthur pulled back, his mouth separating from Merlin’s tip with a wet pop. “Don’t tell anyone!”

“Who would I tell?” Merlin blinked at him, serious for once. “It’s too adorable to share.”

“Good.” Arthur began to unlace his own pants, and Merlin began to drool as he finally saw Arthur in all his glory, and hard as stone. “Still think I’m gorgeous?” Arthur smirked as he lay back down on top of Merlin once more.

“Yes.” Merlin kept his hands in Arthur’s hair, pulling gently, loving even the small sounds he was able to coax out of Arthur.

Then a large hand wrapped around Merlin’s shaft, pressing it against Arthur’s as they were stroked together as one, and one hand dropped down to wrap around the back of Arthur’s neck as he surged up for another kiss.

He could feel more than hear Arthur sigh as the kiss was broken; Merlin’s head fell back as he came closer and closer to climaxing, and Arthur’s mouth latched on to the sensitive spot just behind his ear, pushing him over the edge.

Merlin came hard, spraying white heat over both of their stomachs, and seconds later, he felt Arthur do the same. For a long moment, they stayed like that, Arthur’s forehead resting against Merlin’s as they gazed into each other’s eyes, slowly coming down from the orgasmic high.

“How was that?” Arthur sounded both shy and uncertain, causing Merlin to smile softly.

“It was amazing.” Merlin’s arms settled more comfortably around Arthur. “I just wish I could have touched you more.”

“Next time.” 

“Yes, next time.” Merlin agreed as Arthur finally allowed himself to collapse, and something cracked loudly beneath them.

Arthur sprang to his feet, and the sound eased. “Next time we should do this in my bed; I don’t think yours can handle both our weight.”

“Does this mean I can crawl into bed with you should mine collapse under me?” Merlin teased flirtatiously.

“No.” Merlin blinked in surprise. “I’ll get the carpenter to take a look at your bed first thing in the morning. Merlin, you don’t need a reason to crawl into my bed; you’re welcome to do so at any time; so long as you can do so unseen.”

“Understood.” Merlin knew he was grinning like a fool, but he was unable to stop as Arthur cleaned them both up, then led Merlin through silent hallways to his own room, pulling Merlin into his arms at last for a long awaited cuddle.

**Author's Note:**

> Please visit my profile for more information on how to support me as a writer.


End file.
